NP or Physician for men?

SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN · Feb 9, 2018

I also don't know what gender has to do with this question

Wuzzie · Feb 9, 2018

I wanted to be a doctor since I was 7.

Be a doctor then.

amoLucia · Feb 9, 2018

Get me some popcorn, please.

FSZ Student Nurse, RN · Feb 9, 2018

I wanna work with patients. Which profession works with patients more often?

Not sure what you mean. If you really want the most patient contact, then become a CNA or PCT. If you want to know which type of provider would be more likely to be a PCP, that depends on the specialty you choose. Currently, there are more specialties open to MDs than to NPs.

FSZ Student Nurse, RN · Feb 9, 2018

I'm also looking for advice about the time I will have for family? Do doctors work longer and have less fredom?

I believe that depends on specialty and facility/practice.

calivianya, BSN, RN · Feb 9, 2018

I'm also looking for advice about the time I will have for family? Do doctors work longer and have less fredom?

In general, yes - doctors work longer and for less freedom. Definitely during training, especially. Four years of undergrad (need a bachelor's to get accepted to med school), four years of med school, variable length of residency, variable length of fellowship - pretty much can't work much during med school, and getting paid less than a nurse during residency and fellowship with up to $400k in student loans hanging over your head. Anywhere from 11 years to 15 years, maybe longer, from the start of a bachelor's degree to becoming an attending.

Even starting at year one of college, getting your BSN, a year of working as a RN, and then a DNP would probably only take eight years (maybe longer if you work as a RN for longer in between), so it's faster to become a NP by far and you graduate with far less debt. Astronomically less debt. Where I work, NPs also seem more likely to work the 9-5 jobs while the physicians tend to take more overnight call, but this varies.

If you just care about knowing enough to get the job done, NP is fine... but if you want the extra depth and breadth of education, MD/DO is where it's at.

IMO, the science load is vastly different, too... so it depends on exactly how much science you want incorporated into your practice and what type of science you want. Many MD/DO schools require research projects to even graduate now, and the top tier programs want to see significant amounts of bench research before you can even get in. My friend did her research on the effects of hypoxia on the resistance of prostate cancer cells to certain chemotherapeutic agents, as an example. Since you will have to do some research for DNP as well (assuming all programs are DNP by the time you apply), it would be worth investigating whether nursing research or medical research fits your interests better. If you are less interested in research, NP would be the way to go IMO.

audreysmagic, RN · Feb 9, 2018

Get me some popcorn, please.

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T1DnurseG · Feb 10, 2018

Do your research, consider financial benefits long term and short term, time spent in school, time for family. Either route has its challenges.

I completely agree, I would get first hand experience with patients either as a CNA, MA or volunteer at a clinic or hospital to test the waters out. In this field, must. love. people.

twinsmom788 · Feb 10, 2018

O my goodness...gender has nothing to do with this...if you can afford to go to med school, then go. It's very difficult process to be admitted. Can you graduate without debt? That is the real question and answer.

Julius Seizure · Feb 10, 2018

What about the option of Physician Assistant?

SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN · Feb 10, 2018

I was just going to bring that up Julius. Excellent point

Jedrnurse, BSN, RN · Feb 10, 2018

If you're 19 and already talking about being an advanced practice nurse, you have no interest in being a nurse. PA or MD would probably suit you better.